Virat Kohli Leads Bengaluru to Second Consecutive IPL Title

Virat Kohli produced a stunning performance with an unbeaten 75 off 42 balls, including nine fours and three sixes, to steer Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to their second successive Indian Premier League (IPL) title with a five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday (May 25).

Bengaluru restricted Gujarat to 155-8 before cruising to victory with 12 balls to spare. Kohli sealed the win with a decisive six, immediately raising his arm to point to the stands where his Bengaluru teammates rushed onto the field to celebrate.

Speaking after the match, the 37-year-old Kohli said: "It's something you dream of. I had thought about this moment many times, wanting to execute the decisive run. Our team had the confidence to handle any situation. I knew exactly what to do in that chase." He was named Man of the Match.

Kohli and opening partner Venkatesh Iyer (32 off 16 balls) put on a quickfire 62-run stand. Mohammed Siraj broke through by dismissing Iyer, and Kagiso Rabada removed Devdutt Padikkal. Rashid Khan briefly revived Gujarat's hopes with two wickets in the same over, removing Rajat Patidar (15) and Krunal Pandya.

Tim David (24) then steadied the innings with Kohli in a 41-run partnership. After David fell, Kohli remained unflappable, guiding the side home alongside Jitesh Sharma. This is Kohli's fifth IPL title; he now plays only ODI cricket for India, having retired from Tests and T20 internationals.

RCB captain Rajat Patidar, celebrating his 33rd birthday, joined the elite list of IPL captains to win back-to-back titles, alongside MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings, 2010-2011) and Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians, 2019-2020). He said: "I was calmer this year thanks to consistent form throughout the tournament. My captaincy style is different—not overly expressive but I read the game well."

Bengaluru's victory was built on disciplined bowling, led by Rasikh Salam with 3-27, while Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar took two wickets each. The trio justified the decision to put Gujarat in to bat, stifling their start. Washington Sundar mounted resistance with an unbeaten 50, but it was not enough to save Gujarat from defeat.

For Gujarat, captain Shubman Gill (10) and Sai Sudharsan (12) fell early, despite both being in contention for the Orange Cap (awarded to the season's top scorer). The honor ultimately went to 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who amassed 776 runs—also winning the Player of the Tournament and Emerging Player awards.

Gujarat bowling coach Matthew Hayden admitted: "We have top-class players but couldn't break free in the powerplay. It was an incredible bowling performance by RCB." Gujarat finished as runners-up for the second time in three finals, their solitary title coming in the inaugural season of 2022.